RICHMOND, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Oct. 19, 2010) - CUPE Local 873 (Ambulance Paramedics) President John Strohmaier today issued the following statement upon learning of the tragic deaths of two ambulance paramedics earlier today.

It is with deep sadness that I must confirm the loss in the line of duty of two paramedics during a motor vehicle crash early this morning. The paramedics were returning to their home base of Tofino, B.C. after transferring a patient to Port Alberni hospital. Both paramedics were long-serving members of the Ambulance Paramedics of BC and the BC Ambulance Service, providing many years of life-saving service to their community.

Our hearts and minds are solely with the paramedics' families at this time. We will do our utmost to support them in any way we can, as well as to support the thousands of paramedics throughout B.C. who are severely shaken by this terrible loss of their colleagues and friends.

We will work closely with the investigators from the RCMP and Worksafe B.C. to determine the facts of this tragedy, and that anything learned will guide us in ensuring this never happens again.